Prefabricated building structure



' Oct. 21, 1941. A. c. SANFORD 2,260,058-

4 I PREFABRICATED BUILDI NG STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Get. 21, 1941. y A. c. SANFORD 2,260,953

PREFABR'ICATED BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,2co,oss rnarasmca'rsn nmmmG s'm'Uc'rUnE Arthur Carol seniors, Canton, om Application September 5, 1939, Serial No. 293,331

8 Claims. (01. 20-2) The invention, relates generally to building construction, and more particularly to the economical 'constructionpf buildings by erecting and assembling unit parts of panels which have been prefabricated according to modem' factory methods.

The present invention is particularly adapted for constructinginexpensive homes or dwellings the use of prefabricated units, but the construc- I tion of theunits themselves has required special materials and in many caseshas required a number of special shapes or sizes, which has unduly increased their fabrication and erection co'st.

Moreover, certain of such prior structures re framework for the whole structure, and. the metal framework for the whole structure '-or at least for one or more'walls thereof must be completely erected 'beforethe prefabricated units can be put in place. This self-supporting metal frameworkinvolves aiarge amount of metal and its erection requires increased time and labor,

so that the cost saved by using prefabricated unitv panels is largely offset by the material and area tion cost of the metal framework.

It is therefore a general object ofthepresent invention to provide a novel and improved prefabricated building. structure which can be erected more easily and rapidly, and with maquite the erection of a selfsupporting metal terially less erection and manufacturing cost,

than has been heretofore possible.

A further and more specific object'is to pm- A" further object is to provide an improved building structure constructed of prefabricated units which are adapted after erection to have any desired exterior finish applied thereto. such as brick veneer, shingles, siding and the like.

Another and very important object is to pro- .vide a structure utilizing prefabricated units requiring a minimum amount of metal reinforcement and clamping means consisting of' ordinary metal rods erected step by step with the prefabricated units and adapted to form 'anetwork for completely. binding the entire structure together when it is completed.

Afurther object is to. provide a prefabricated structure which lends itself to amultiplicity of changes in design and appearanc r A still further object is to. provide a, novel structure utilizing the same prefabricated jmit construction in all interior walls aswell as e::- terior walls and roof, whereby the entire struc-.

ture includes a very small variety of materials and parts and eliminates substantially" all hand operations at the point oferection;

And finally, it is an object of the present invention to'provide a noveLprefabricated building structure which incorporates all of the foregoing advantageous features, andrconstitutes an inexpensive, strong and well insulated dwelling.

Other specific objects include the provision of accomplished by the parts, elements, improvements, and combinations comprisingthe"present invention, which is shown by way ofexample described and claimed.

instandard widths and lengths which are acvide a building structure in which the walls and roof are constructed of prefabricated units in a,

minimum number of standard sizes, resulting in greatly reducing cost of erection and manufacture. i

Another object is to provide a novel structure utilizing units prefabricated entirely from ordinary'inexpensive materials of standard sizes and shapes, and said units having heat insulatin properties.

cording to' a module system, and the units having double grooves at their marginal edges to accommodate a spline at the'ioints and a reinforcing rod, the rods in adjoining walls being connected together at the building corners to form a network binding the units together under compression. 7

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which a novel and eflicient heating system which enin the accompanying drawings, and hereinafter In'general terms, the invention comprises-a1 I structure made up of prefabricated units which are constructed entirely of ordinary materials in standard sizes and shapes, the units being made view of the corner construction as at A in Figure 1, parts being broken away and parts in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of the top corner as at B in Figure 1, parts being broken away and parts in section;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view as on line 4-4 in Figure 1, parts being broken away and parts in section;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of one of the prefabricated units as at 5-5, Figure 1, showing the position of the spline members and reinforcing rods therein when the units are erected; i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as at 6-4, Figure 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as at 1-1, Figure 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as at 88. Figure 1;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as at 9-4, Figure 1;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as at III-I0, Figure 1;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the floor 'slab supporting the building structure and showing the heating system; and

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as at I2--I2, Figure 1. I

Similar numerals refer to similar parts 7 throughout the various views of the drawings.

In the drawings the invention is shown as applied to the construction of a one-story dwelling having a flat roof, but it will be understood that the design and the appearance of the structure may be varied as desired, and the roof may be likewise varied in design and appearance by adding gables and the like, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Moreover, while I have illustrated a structure in which the exterior surface of the walls is formed by the exterior surfaces of abutting panel units, the improved construction is adapted for being supplemented by any desired exterior fin-. ish such as brick veneer, shingles or siding.

The walls of theimproved structure are made up of abutting panel units such as indicated at I2, I21: and I2b;a cross section of a preferred embodiment of one of theunits I2 being shown in Fig.

5. The height of the units I2 is the full height of the walls and is preferably eight feet and the width of the units I2 is preferably four feet, because these dimensions are best adapted for factory production of the panel units.

tend between the frame members I3 and H at intervals throughout the height of the panel units, and these cross' brace members I8 preferably are made by slitting a standard 2",x 4" member longitudinally in half. An insulation wall or blanket I9 is provided within the panel units I2 and preferably is encased in waterproof paper and positioned against the cross brace members I8 as best shown in Fig. 5. This insulation blanket I9 is preferably one inch in thickness so as to leave an air space 20 between the blanket and the exterior plywood panel covering I5.

It is understood that the improved panel units may be constructed of other materials, and may be made of suitable plastics or other materials which are formed or cast preferably with the double grooves in all exterior edge faces.

All of the prefabricated panel units for exterior walls are identical in construction to the panel units I2 and vary only in size. that is,

width and height. In order to provide for doors, windows, etc. it is of course necessary to provide units of lesser height and width than the panels I2, but according to my invention, such panel units are all made in sizes accoi'ding to what may be termed a module system. In other words, the panel units I2 are multiples of the other panel units in width or height so that a minimum number of sizes of panel units is required. Thusin Fig. 1 a panel unit, I2a is shown fitting under a small window 2I, and the panel unit I2a is fourflfths the height of the panel units I2 while being the same width. Similarly, the panel units IZb above and below a large window 22 are one-fifth the height of the panel units I2.

Other sizes of panel units according to the module system may be the same height as unit I2 and a fractional part of the width, as for instance, one-fourth, one-half or three-fourths of the width; or they may be made in fractional heights and widths with respect to the unit I2.

As shown in Fig. 5 each panel unit has an outer frame of standard 2" x 4" wood members I3 extending entirely around its periphery and having two exterior longitudinal grooves I4 therein, and

an interior plywood panel covering I5 and an exterior plywood panel covering I6 is secured to I 'theirame members I3 in any suitable manner.

Preferably the interior covering I5 is onequarter inch waterproof resinglue plywood and the exterior panel covering I6 is three-eighths inch waterproof resin glue plywood, although other-covering materials can be used if desired. A vertical frame membermay be used midway between the outer members I3 as shown at I! and is preferably an ordinary 2' x 4 member ,of standard size.

Suitable cross brace wood members I3 may ex- For example, to accommodate a door three feet wide by six feet six inches plus high, one of the panels I2 would be replaced by a panel four feet wide and nineteen and one-fifth inches high located over the door, and a panel one foot wide and six feet and several inches high alongside the door.

The panel units for interior partition walls of the improved structure are constructed in sizes according to the same module system, but the interior wall panel units arepreferably made thinner than the outer wall panel units, by merely using half 2" x 4" frame members formedby slitting standard 2" x 4" members iii-half longitudinally. These half frame members are used in place of the 2"x 4" frame members I3 111 the panel units I2 and provided with one exterior slot for receivingthe spline; otherwise the construction of the interior wall panels is identical with that of the exterior wall'panels I2. 1

As shown in the drawings; the 2'f x 4" frame members I3 extend 'around all foursides of each panel unit, and the exterior grooves-Min the frame members I3 provide double grooves in all ,the edge faces of said panel units. one of these grooves is adapted to receive aspline member '23 for interlocking and aligning the abutting or adjoining panel units at the joints thereof. The other groove I4 is adapted .to receive a reinforcing rod 24 extending longitudinally of the groove for reinforcing the walls and tying the units thereof together under compression.

In Figure l the locations of the various reinforcing rods 24 areindicated by dot-dash center lineashowing" a reinforcing rod 24 extends verticallyin each joint between all' the abutting their height. The vertical rods are anchored in the floor slab 25, as shown at 20 in Fig.- 9 and their upper ends project slightly above the upper ends ofthe panel units. The horizontal rods 24 in the roof wall R extend through the joints between abutting panels and project slightly beyond the ends of the roof .wall'into the corner and provide meansfor interlocking the panel I and the angle plates 21, the sides of the angle plates 21 and comer splines 30 being such as to form an offset at the outer faces of the adjoining panel units for receiving these corner plates, as

'- clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

between the adjoining, panels of the roof wall and l corner plates 34 and 35 as shown-in Fig. 7, and a side wall, and are in alignment with the vertical rods ofthe side wall.

Individual means for placing' the wall units jacent. ends of. the rods ofadjoining walls, pref- 21 and adapted to fit in the building corners between adjoining walls. These angle plates 21 under compression and for connecting the adalso are used to connect the adjacent projecting ends of the horizontal rods of adjoining vertical walls, and these horizontal rods extend entirely through all of the panel units throughout one wall. thatis, from one building-corner to another. r

As shown in Fig. 5 the horizontal rods 24 extend through a slot 28 in the brace member I. and through holes 2! in the side frame members II which holes communicate with the slots l4 receiving the splines 22. so thatthe horizontal and vertical rods cross each other in different vertical At the building corners between the vertical walls and the roof, a2" x 2" cap piece 38 may be provided on top of the outer edge of the 'metal flashing 31 is applied over'the corner piece Iflangejl overlying the plate II and a portion of erably includes angle clips or plates indicated at the adjoining panel units 42 in the roof.

A. waterproof roofing of layers of tar, felt and gravel may be built up on top of thei'lashing 31 and the roof panels as indicated at- 40 in Figs. 1 and 7. Preferably, a metal flashing 31a is inserted in all horizontal joints betweenunits, or between units planes. The; spline members 23 are made in sections extending between the horizontal rods or between the horizontal rods andthe top and bottom ends of the panel units, so as not'tointerfere with the passage of v the horizontal rods through the walls. a

. Preferably the angle plates -2l. are provided with staggered holes for selectively receiving the rods in each. leg of the angle plate so that the angle plates can be used interohangeablyat' any building corner regardless of which ofv the two grooves l4 receive the, rod 24.- Nuts 24a may be screwed on the projecting ends of the rods and cornerplates, as shown in Fig. 'I. I

The floor slab supporting the structure is preferably a concrete slab 4| which may be approximately six inches in thickness and is indicated in Fig. 9, and the exterior walls of the structure preferably rest on a 2" x 4" plate 42 having a single longitudinal groove 48 in its upper side, the plate 42 resti directly on the outer marginal surface of the slab 4|. A metal channel 44 of well known construction for housing electric wiring and serving as a-baseboard and receptacle 24 to clamp the rods to the angle plates 21, and resilient means such assplit washers 24b may be".

interposed between the nuts and" the Plates, for compensating for espansion and contraction due tdweather conditions, although there will be very little change in the lengthof the rods since they are incased in insulated walls;

At the building corners between adjoining vertical walls and between the vertical walls and the adjoining roof wall-R, angular corner spline members 30 are provided for interlocking the panel units of-the adjoiningwalls, These corner splines 30 are made up of a standard 2" x 4', 3| with the double grooves I I4 identical with the. grooves l4 in frame members It, and a half 2" x 4" 32 having a-single groove a, and the members II and-32 .are secured together in angular or L-shaped form with a piece of plywood outletis located in the corner formed at the inner surface of the outer walls between the bottom ends of the panel units and the plate 42, asshowninFig.9.

Preferably the floor slab is provided with aseries of radiating ducts 46 which extend outwardly in the upper surface. of the slab from a central duct 48- to a continuous duct 47 extending entirely around theefloor slab adjacent to the floor-plate 42 and. immediately below the baseboard channel 44. The heating plant for the building structure islocated directly over and communicating with thevcentral duct 46 when the structure is erected, and a layer of flooring slab covering all of the radiating ducts 45 and terminating under the baseboard channel 44 as shown in Fig. 9. The flooring 48'fis preferably applied with mastic cement after all other work on the structure has been completed. I

Accordinglyheated air may be circulated from the central heating duct 46 outwardly through the radiatingduots 45 and into continuous duct 41, from which it circulates into the rooms of the structure through the slot 4,! between the channel 44 and floorcovering 48. In this'wa'y the entire floor of the structure 'is uniformly heated I and insulated from the cold permeating from the outside through the floor slab. I Suitable air out- 33 therebetween; so that the groove i411 registers;

one ofthe grooves l4 in thqpanelunits of one wall and the grooves l4 of the2' x 4" member 3i register with the grooves N of the panel units in an adjoining-wall; 1

Spline members 23 interflt the groove mi and v the mating groove "of the adjoining'fpanelunits, and the spline members 23 interflt one'of-the grooves I4 in the member il-and the mating groove l4 of the adjoining panel units. These corner spline members 30 extend along the building corners-between the angle plates 21 therein lets may be provided in the. upper portions of the rooms forretuming the air to the heating plant.

As shown in Fig. 9 the lower part of the exterior walls and the exterior of the floor slab may together' under compression,

unit l2b is shown by way of example. The window jamb includes a wood strip having a spline portion 52 which fits into one of the grooves H of the frame member [3 of an abutting unit for interlocking the window and adjoining panel units togethenand a sill cap-piece I3 is provided a on the exterior of the jamb member 5|. A similar cap piece 53 may be applied on the exterior of the window jamb at the head and sides thereof.

In erecting a building structure according to the present invention, the concrete floor slab 4| is first poured, suitable formsIbeing used to provvicie for the radiating ducts- 45 and the continuous duct 41 in the upper surfaces of the slab. Preferably, standard 2" x 4"s are used as forms for the radiating ducts 45 and a half 2" x 4"is used for the continuous duct 41, and these forms are removed after the concrete is set.

The vertical reinforcing rods 24 are anchored in the concrete slab 4| when it is poured and a preferred way of accomplishing this is to anchor the hooked stub rods indicated at 26 at intervals corresponding to the width of the panel units so v that their upper ends project some four inchesabove the slab, as indicated in Fig. 9. The upper ends of these stub rodsare threaded and the lower 'ends of the vertical reinforcing rods 24 are also threaded so thatthe rods 24 may be easily connected to the stub, rods as by a coupling sleeve indicated at 54.

Next the woodplate 42 is laid at the outer marginal surface of the floor slab, being provided with suitable holes permitting the stub rods 26 to pass therethrough.

The panel units and the reinforcing rods therefor forming the outer vertical walls of the structure are then erected by positioning spline members 23 between the stub rods and in the groove 43 of the plate 42 after which a panel unit I 2 may be positioned on the plate with oneof the grooves l4 in its bottom edge face fitting over the spline 23. One of the vertical reinforcing rods 24 is then connected to the stub rod at the side edge face of the panel unitand located in vone of the side grooves l4 of said unit, and the vertical spline members are then positioned in the other side groove with spaces between their ends to accommodate the horizontal reinforcing rods tobe inserted later. The abutting panel unit is then positioned with one of its bottom An adjoining vertical-wall may then be erected in the same manner and the adjoining panel units at the corner of the two walls are interlocked by means of the corner spline members 30. 4

In the same way the roof panel units [2 are erected being interlocked with the top ends of the vertical walls by means of the comer spline members 30, and the reinforcing rods 24 in the roof being connected to the angle platesfl which are also connected to the vertical reinforcing rods.

.At any convenienttime in tion, the interior partition walls may be erected in the same manner as the exterior walls-are erected. These interior walls may be erected according to any desired floor plan, and the same prefabricated unit construction can be applied to fireplace and various other inside details. 1

It is obvious that in the course of erecting the vertical walls of the structure, doors and win-L dows of various sizes in the module system used can be incorporated by using panel units of fractional widths or heights in connection with the doors or windows, such as the panel units In and l2b shown in Fig.

After the walls and roof are all thus erected, the corner cover strips or plates 34 and 38 may be attached, and the cover cap 38 also attached at the upper corners. The flashing 31 may then be applied with the roofing 40 and the complete structure provides a strong. rigid'building, the

.wood panel units thereof being held together under compression by the network of reinforcing 'rodswhich take the tension, so that the building may be considered as a monolithic structurewhich not only has exceptional strength and rigidity but has-high heat insulating qualities.

It. is to be emphasizedthat the network of rea. inforcing rods is erected step by step along with g the panel units, so that the erection of a selfsupportingmetal framework prior to the'erection of the panel units is not required, and the network of reinforcing rods provides sufficient means for tying the panel units toge her with a minimum amount and weight of metal involved. After the walls and roof of. the structure are completed as described the waterproof sheeting grooves engaging another spline: member in the plate groove 43 and one of its side grooves receiving the splinejmembers already positioned in one of the side'grooves of the first panel unit.

In the joint formed by'theabutting panel units the mating grooves [4 in which-the 'vertical reinforcing rod 24 is located provide a passageway which is much larger than is necessary to accommodate the rod, and this extra spaceis very useful for inclosing utility wires and piping which may be necessary for the interior of the structure.

After a row of laterally abutting panel units l2,

building, and the angle plates 21 are connected to the top ends of the vertical rods, the horito the other end of the wall, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5, and the angle plates 21 may then be positioned and the rods 24a and waslnars 24b atiswapplied, and any exterior finish can be ap-' plied to the walls as desired, as for example brick veneering, shingles or siding.- The appearance of the structure is easily altered to produce a variety of designsby changing the relativelengths of the outer walls and by using different combinations or panel units I 2, I211, l2b, etc., has been thus erected to form a complete vertical wall of the zontal reinforcing rods 24-are inserted from. one 1 end of the wall through all the panels thereof tached to the ends of the horizontal rods to seof the windows with different fractional size pane1 units. Also,'. another vertical wall of panel units may be added on top of thelower wall to provide a two story building and the shape of the roof may be altered to provide a'gabled roof or the like. 1

Where theflat roof is used with a single story building or where the roof wall becomes a second story floor, the reinforcing rodsv thereiniare preferably uniformly spaced in each direction, as for ing the size of the metal reinforcing rodsand by spacing the rods at smaller intervals in each direction in the roof I claim:

i. A building structure comprising a roof and walls formed of edge-abutting prefabricated units having double grooves in their marginal edges,

the course of erecspline members interfltting one set of said grooves at the-joints between abutting units, reinforcing.

rods located in the other set of said grooves at the joints between abutting units and projecting therefrom at the building corners, and means connecting the projecting ends of said rods for holding the units together.

having two grooves in its marginal edges mating with the grooves in abutting units, spline members interfltting one set of mating grooves for. in'-- terlocking abutting units, reinforcing rods located in the other set of grooves of each wall, reinforcing rods extending through each wall at right angles to the first said rods, and means at all the building cornersindividually connecting the reinforcing rods in adjoining walls.

3. In a building'structure, a wall formed of abutting prefabricated units each having two grooves in its abutting edges, a reinforcing rod extending through one of said grooves at each joint between units, reinforcing rods extending through said wall at right angles to'the first said rods, spline members interfitting the other of said grooves at each joint and extending along the joints between said units, and means on said rods at the ends of the wall for holding all the units thereof together under compression.

4. In a building structure, a wall-formed of abutting prefabricated units each having two grooves in its abutting edges, a reinforcing'rod i and splines interfitting. the mating grooves of extending through one of said grooves at each joint between units and projecting from the ends of said wall, spline members interfltting the other of said grooves at each joint for interlocking the units, and means on the projecting ends of said rods for clamping the units under comv pression.

5. A building structure including adjoining walls and a roof formed of interlocked prefabri cate panel units having grooved abutting edges, reinforcing rods located in said grooved edges and reinforcing rods extending through said panel units at right angles to said first rods to form a reinforcing network in the planes of the walls and roof, and means for individually connecting the rods extending through the panel units of adjoining walls together and the rods in the groove'd edges of the walls with the rods in the roof for clamping the wall and roof units together under compression after the units are erected.

' 6. A building structure including side walls I and a roof wall formed of abutting prefabricated panel units, all of said panel unitshaving standard 2" x 4" wood outer frame members provided with two parallel exterior grooves, spline members interfitting one set of mating grooves for interlocking abutting units, reinforcing rods located in the other set of mating groovesof said units, reinforcing rods extending through'all the unitsof the walls atright angles to the rods in said grooves, means at all the building cornersindividualiy connecting adjoining rods of adjoining walls, and corner members formed from, standard 2" x 4 wood members located in the I corners between the adjoining walls and between having grooves mating with the'grooves in the panel units of said adjoining walls and roof,

said corner members and said adjoining wall and roof panel 5 g 7. A building structure comprising a roof and adjoining walls formed of edge-abutting prefabricated units having double grooves in their marginal edges, spline members interfltting one set of said grooves at the jointsbetween abutting units, reinforcing rods extending, through the other set of said grooves, and individual means connecting the rods in the walls with adjoining rods in the roof for tying the walls and roof together.

a. A building structure inducing side and roof walls formed of abutting prefabricated units- ,having grooved joints, spline members interflt- 

